


three, four, live

by ninash



Series: the strongest sense [3]
Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Alive Hale Family, Alternate Universe, Angst with a Happy Ending, Empath Stiles Stilinski, F/M, Growing Up Together, Happy Ending, Hurt Stiles, Hurt/Comfort, Like Real Quick, M/M, Magical Stiles Stilinski, Peter Hale & Stiles Stilinski Friendship, Post-Nogitsune, Slow Build Derek Hale/Stiles Stilinski, Temporary Character Death, Vampires, peter teaches stiles to drive, stiles hates pixies
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-21
Updated: 2018-03-21
Packaged: 2019-04-05 10:05:28
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 11,341
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14041878
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ninash/pseuds/ninash
Summary: Stiles is older now and he understands more about his powers. So does Derek.





	three, four, live

Stiles is thirteen when Derek leaves. 

Derek got accepted into Columbia and is moving to New York. Everyone is so happy for him, but Stiles can taste the chocolate liquor on his tongue. It’s bittersweet and makes his heartache. 

He leaves on a Saturday. It’s a week into summer break, and Stiles feels out of place at the Hale house. Everyone is standing outside saying their goodbyes. Kevin and Talia are driving him to the airport, and he’s staying with Laura while in New York, who is still in school so it worked out perfectly. Cora is the last to hug him. Standing on her tippy toes with her face smushed into his shoulder. Stiles bet Peter twenty bucks she’d cry and when Cora pulls away from the hug with tears in her eyes, Stiles inwardly smirks. 

Stiles doesn’t expect a goodbye. After the incident with the bear trap, Derek came around a lot more. Wisps of grey smoke no longer follow Derek. But the smell of rotting roses does. Stiles isn’t sure what that means. It wasn’t anything sudden, like flipping a switch, it was more of a slow change. The bitter cigarette smoke slowly changing into the sharp sweetness of roses. Ones that have been kept to long and over watered. Where instead of drying out, they turn to a mushy mess. 

It’s still better than the burn of grey smoke. 

Derek still can’t look Stiles in the eye and whenever they all hang out with the Hale family, the smell of rotting flowers intensifies to a whole field. Stiles thinks maybe this is what guilt smells like.

-

Stiles is fourteen when Talia, Kevin, and Peter sit John Stilinski down and tell him about the supernatural.

It goes as well as the teenager said it would. Peter owes him dinner. 

John thinks it’s a joke at first. He laughs and then asks what’s really going on. Talia just purses her lips and looks over at Peter, who smirks and cracks his neck, in between twists of his head his features shift into his beta form. 

Stiles is hit with the smell of dust. Like a room that’s been closed up for years. There's a bit of metallic sharp metal mixed in.

His leg starts bobbing up and down because.

Because his dad is _scared_ of them. 

The metal fades away slowly as Peter lets his face return to normal and Talia starts talking again. Once the conversation trails off his dad turns and looks back at him where he's leaning against the wall next to the door. 

“You knew about all this?” His voice isn’t exactly accusing, but more like he’s worried. 

“Figured it out when I was ten.” Stiles nods his head while staring down at the floor. 

“Stiles.” Talia’s voice is firm because they already talked about it and agreed Stiles should be the one to tell the sheriff about his abilities. 

“You figured it out?” And there’s the dust again.

“Um yeah, I googled them...anyway dad there’s more.” Stiles pushes off the wall and watches his dads face do a thing when he says he googled them. 

“The reason I figured this all out and got involved...” Stiles starts and gestures wildly with his hands. 

“I’m an empath.” Nothing like ripping the bandaid off. 

“An empath.” His dad states back and stares at Stiles. 

“Yup. But unlike the traditional sense of an empath, you know-one who can feel others emotions of the daily, short lifespan ‘cause they get the crazies-all that jazz, I’m like some mutant one. Cool right? I can smell and taste others emotions. Not twenty-four-seven, usually only when they’re strong enough that they like leak out. And sometimes when I touch someone I can get hits of their intentions? That’s still new and I’m still learning to control that. But yeah there was a potential mass murder and arson case I stopped when I was ten, and now I’m an honorary pack member.” Stiles takes a breath and breaks out the trademark Stiles grin. 

“Uh-huh.” His dad nods with a creased brow and stands from the chair. 

Even though he’s dressed in civilian clothes, he puts his hands on his hips like he has his badge and gun strapped on. 

“I have so many questions, but I don’t think I want any of the answers.” He mutters under his breath. Peter cackles like a mad man and Talia stands from her chair with a soft smile. 

The sheriff wraps Stiles up in a tight hug and rubs a hand over his buzz cut.

“I love you, kid.” John slings his arm over Stiles' shoulders and turns to look back at the Hales. 

“Feel free to ask for a restraining order if he ever gets too annoying.” Stiles knows his dad is deflecting with a joke. He’s probably gonna go home and freak out, and then order a meat lovers pizza. If the Hales know the same thing they don’t allude to it. 

“Stiles is a delight.” Talia offers as they leave her office and head downstairs to the living room. 

“More like a menace.” Peter snarks and chases Stiles off through the kitchen and into the backyard. 

“He’s not in any danger is he?” John asks after Peter and Stiles disappear out the back sliding door. Smiling when he hears his sons laughter. 

“No.” Talia is quick to reassure him. 

“Will he be?” John refrases his question and turns so that he’s facing Talia and Kevin. The two Hales look at each other before Kevin is the one to speak up. 

“There could be times or instance where danger does arise. Our family is a werewolf pack, and as such, the supernatural is bound to follow. But we would protect him.” Kevin offers with a serious face. 

The sheriff nods. He tells them he’s gonna head out, and to have Stiles call him when he’s ready to be picked up. Kevin telling him they have no problem driving him home. The sheriff leaves on a thanks that means so much, more than the one word can truly convey. 

When Kevin and Talia walk over to the backyard they watch Stiles, Peter, and Cora wrestle around in the grass. Thea, Shannon, and Lincoln all watch them from where they’re playing monopoly at the glass table on the deck. 

Talias eyes slip close as she soaks in the joy and happiness that is her pack. 

“Cora!” Peter’s voice is hard and loud. Talia's eyes jerk open and she steps outside. 

Peter is laying on the ground with Stiles sprawled across him, belly down. Peter is glaring up at Cora, who has the decency to look sorry. 

“I’m good, I’m fine.” Stiles laugh is a little breathless as he pushes up off of Peter and falls back onto his butt. He remains sitting on the floor and looks a little breathless. His hand curls over his shoulder and he rubs at the muscle. 

“You need to be careful. He’s human.” Peter’s glare has shifted into an ‘I’m disappointed in you’ look. 

“After we just promised his father he was safe with us.” Kevin laughs and shakes his head. He walks over to the grill and messes with the dials until they spark. Thea leaves the game in favor of helping Kevin start dinner. 

Talia watches Peter make Cora apologize to Stiles, who laughs off the apology. Cora stalks off over to her aunt and uncle and plops down next to Lincoln. Peter helps Stiles up and pulls his shirt up to look at his shoulder. A bruise already starting to blossom. 

“You’re not an honorary pack member Stiles. You are pack.” Talia says under her breath, as she watches Peter rub a hand over Stiles buzzed head and they laugh as they walk towards the house. 

-

Stiles is sixteen when Peter teaches him how to drive. 

It goes terrible obviously and they both almost die. 

Two days after Stiles sixteenth birthday Stiles is laying on the floor in the living room, complaining about the heat. It’s the end of June in California so yeah, the heat is absolute ass. Peter comes in through the back door in a pair of swim trunks and a towel slung over his shoulders. 

“You went swimming without me? The disrespect I feel right now.” Stiles tilts his head back against the floor to glare at Peter, who is upside from his point of view. Peter snorts and lets his wet towel drop on the teens face. 

Peter goes upstairs, takes a shower and comes back downstairs dressed in shorts and a tee-shirt. Stiles would just like to point out it's the shirt he got Peter for his birthday last year. It’s a heather grey color that says ‘it’s that time of the month’ with a really shitty drawing of the full moon done in silver sharpie by Stiles. Everyone had laughed their asses off over it. Peter swore he’d never wear it, the filthy liar. 

“Come on.” Peter nudges Stiles ribs with his shoe. 

“What? No, it’s too hot out to do anything.” Stiles groans and throws an arm over his face. 

“Even for some driving lessons?” Peter smirks and crosses his arms over his chest. 

Stiles has never moved so fast in his life. He stands up so fast vertigo gets him for a hot sec.

“I knew you were my favorite Hale for a reason.” Stiles smiles and throws his arms around Peter’s shoulders. 

“Don’t let Shannon hear you.” Peter laughs and rubs a hand over Stiles' head. His hair is starting to get longer. He’s getting taller too. 

“Shan will always be my resident favorite Hale. You’re like prime second fav.” Stiles bumps Peter’s shoulder with his own. Peter tosses the keys to the truck to Stiles with a shake of his head. 

“That doesn’t even make any sense.” Peter double checks his and Stiles seatbelts twice before he lets Stiles start the truck.

“Yes it does.” Stiles cackles at he starts the truck and it hums under his feet. 

“You’ve driven before right?” Peter all of a sudden is starting to regret his decision. Stiles looks over at Peter with a wide grin and slowly shakes his head no. 

“Your dad never let you drive in a parking lot or something?” Peter asks.

“Nah. He was scared someone would get hurt.” Stiles grabs the gear shift and throws it into reverse. 

“You mean he was scared you’d get hurt. Right?” Peter checks the mirrors to make sure no one was pulling into the driveway and Stiles starts back out the stone way. 

“Nope!” The teen is way to cheery. 

Two hours later, Shannon is ready to call Peter and asks where they are and if they’ll be home for lunch when Stiles and Peter walk through the door. 

Stiles shirt is ripped in two places with small cuts littering his arms and face. Both of them are covered in dirt smudges and Peter has a twig sticking out of his hair. Stiles has the steering wheel to the truck in his hand. 

“Do I want to know?” Shannon asks crossing her arms over her chest. Fighting a laugh. 

“Does Lincoln still have a friend at that auto shop?” Peter plucks the twig from his hair and glances down at Stiles. Lincoln comes in from the backyard. 

“Yeah, his names Vinnie. Why what happened?” He snorts when he sees the state the two are in. 

“Yeah Stiles, why don’t you tell them what happened.” Peter shoves Stiles' shoulder and he stumbles forward two steps. 

“I drove the truck up into a tree.” Stiles mumbles. 

“Oh damn. How's the truck? Hitting a tree, damn kid that’s pretty bad.” Lincoln ruffles his hair and some dirt falls out. 

“Oh no, no, no. Up. He drove the truck up a tree.” Peter waves a hand at Stiles and shakes his head. “And I still can’t figure out how he did it.” 

“Stop being a drama queen.” Stiles tosses the steering wheel at Peter and shakes his head. 

“We almost died!” Peter yells as Felicia comes down the stairs with a sleepy-eyed Stephanie on her hip. The six-year old giggles as she hears her father yell. 

“You’re a werewolf, you would have healed.” Stiles scrubs at the dirt caked under his nails at the kitchen sink.

“But you wouldn’t have.” Peter whispers so low Stiles almost doesn't hear him. 

The scent Peter is giving off is a mix of so many different emotions and so strong it punches the air out of Stiles and he hunches over the sink. His chest heaves as water drips from his hands onto the floor from the way he’s dripping the edge of the sink. Tears spring in his eyes as he finally gets his breathing under control. He looks up at Peter who has his hands clenched into fists at his side, a deep frown twisting up his face. 

“I’m sorry.” Stiles says as another set of tears fall, this time his own.

“Damn right you are.” Peter clears his throat and walks over to the teen. 

Stiles meets him halfway and the wolf wraps him up in a hug. Stiles realizes at that moment Peter’s hugs are a lot like his dads. Peter always rubs the top of Stiles' head like his dad used to do when he was younger, except Stiles knows that Peter does it to mark him with his scent. 

The next time Stiles gets a driving lesson, it’s from Shannon and she puts the fear of god into his sixteen-year-old self. 

He still crashes his jeep into a tree the day after he gets his license. 

-

Stiles is seventeen when Derek comes home. 

His weekend had been a shit show of trolls and a lost siren who had washed up in the lake that borders the preserve. 

Being in the preserve is always a hit or a miss for Stiles. He’s older now, and like Peter and Olivia hypothesized, the older he gets the stronger his powers have become. 

They’ve only had one incident where a distant Hale cousin came to visit and had made skin-to-skin contact. Stiles hadn’t been prepared for it, and her emotions had overwhelmed him to the point he passed out. 

Safe to say Stiles learned from the encounter.

Derek and Laura come home in time for Cora’s eighteenth birthday. 

The whole Hale family is spread out in the kitchen. All taking in every word Derek and Laura say, commenting on how much they've grown. They've been talking for about an hour before Laura stops mid-sentence and frowns.

“Where's uncle Peter?” She glances around for him. Tunes in her hearing to check the rest of the house but he's not there.

“What time is it?” Shannon asks from where she's sitting at the table with a toddler Jamie on her lap.

“Half past four.” Laura glances at her watch while she answers.

“Oh, they should be back any moment.” Shannon perks up and stands from the stool she was sitting on and moves to the back sliding glass door. Derek and Laura share a look before they both move to look out the door as well. 

They can just make out Peter's silhouette as he walks out of the tree line. With a body slung over his shoulder. 

“What in the hell?” Laura mutters under her breathe as Shannon opens the door all the way. Peter nods at her and walks into the kitchen. The body slung over his shoulder is male and probably around the same height as Peter. Neither Derek nor Laura can see his face. 

“Will you put me down now?” He sounds exasperated and honestly so done. Laura snorts.

“If I put you down are you gonna take off?” Peter asks glancing down the boys back. 

“No.” He mumbles and crosses his arms. Which is hard to do, considering he's over Peter's shoulder. 

Peter bends at the knees and slings the kid up and off his shoulder. Dropping him into one of the kitchen chairs that was angled out and away from the table. The kids elbow slams into the edge of the table and he's none too silent about it.

“God dammit Peter. Human, very breakable human.” The kid points at himself before he goes back to cradling his arm and rubbing his thumb across his elbow. Peter just scoffs at him and rolls his eyes. 

“What was it this time?” Talia has her elbows braced on the countertop with her head resting on her hand. A small smile on her face. 

“Pixies.” Peters glare is more disgust than anything. “Slimy little bastards.” He hisses and shakes his head.

“Stiles.” Shannon scold's with an uptilt to her lips.

“They keep stealing my boxers!” Stiles yells, throwing his hands up and shaking his head. 

“That doesn't mean go and pick a fight with the whole hoard.” Peter’s tone is flat and bored. He shoves Stiles head in a playful way. 

Stiles just grumbles under his breath and crosses his arms over his chest, hunching in on himself. 

Stiles coughs on the sudden onset of dust and mildew. He hacks a few times and makes a grabby hand in the air. Peter grabs a water bottle from the fridge and tosses it at him. After a few sips, he takes a breath with tears in the corners of his eyes.

“Wow who turned on the confusion?” He coughs again and clears his throat. Derek and Laura look at each other before turning back to stare at the boy incredulously. 

“Derek, honey, you remember Stiles don't you?” Talia waves a hand at the boy, who is twisting the plastic ring on the bottle. His leg bobbing up and down. 

“Yo.” He salutes Derek with a cheeky grin. He sits the water bottle cap down on the table and stands from the chair. 

Derek's head jerks back in surprise. The last time he saw Stiles the boy was as thin as a stick with an unfortunate buzz cut. His hair is longer now and styled up loosely. He's taller now, probably as tall as Derek himself. He's got on more layers than fingers and the chain of some type of necklace peeking out from his hoodie. The constellations on his face draw the eye because of how pale his skin has gotten in the colder months. And he’s barefoot, which, what? 

“Stiles.” Derek is a mix of confusion and recognition but his voice just sounds flat and annoyed. Laura snorts when Stiles rolls his eyes and jerks his head up and down so hard his brain probably scrambled around a bit. 

“We haven't met in person yet. I’m Laura.” Laura walks over to Stiles and sticks her hand out. Stiles stares at the appendage and purses his lips. Drawing his hand up across his chest to scratch at his collarbone. He lifts his left foot and uses it to scratch at his right ankle. Derek's eyes are drawn to the movement. What is he, a child? 

“Yeah, I don’t really do the whole physical contact thing with new people, but nice to meet you.” Stiles gives her a toothy grin to make up for it. Laura lets her hand drop and gives a sharp grin as well. 

Stiles and Laura have actually met before. Over skype. Cora had been on a call with the two older Hales when Stiles had stumbled upon her and met the oldest Hale sibling. But for him, it didn’t feel like actually meeting her, because he couldn’t get a full hit off of her. 

One of the downsides to being an empath, Stiles can usually tell if people don’t like him. So when he takes a deep breath in and focuses, he smells morning grass and pine. His smile turns softer. Citrus rolls off of Laura like oranges and lemon. There's just the slightest bit of an undertone of Jack that makes Stiles take a step towards her. When he realizes he’s done it, he takes two steps back. He clears his throat and gives the oldest Hale sibling a smile.

“Don’t want to intrude on your great familia reunion.” Stiles throws his hands up like he’s surrendering before he looks sharply at Peter. 

“You owe me a new pair of sneakers.” He hisses and points a finger at Peter, who hunches over laughing. 

“It’s so not funny.” Stiles pauses on ‘so’ and ‘funny’ so that the word not is punctuated. 

The front door opens and closes a moment later. Three sets of heartbeats making their way into the house. 

“Uncle Derek!” Little Stephanie yells as she barrels into the kitchen and into Derek's legs.

“You’ve gotten so big!” Derek gushes as he swings Stephanie up into his arms and she rubs her cheek against his.

Derek and Laura watch Olivia walk into the kitchen, with a shy Caleb traveling after her. Caleb has always been a quiet child, even in birth. Not a scream or a tear in sight. Growing up hadn’t changed for him either. He was quiet and reserved, even around his family. Usually, when the whole family was gathered like this, he would hide behind his mother or father, both present in the room. Peter was still leaning against the counter by Laura, and Felicia was sitting at one of the stools at the counter, next to Shannon. Olivia tilts her head at Stiles as a form of acknowledgment then goes over to Shannon, pressing a kiss to her wifes' temple and wrapping an arm around her shoulders. 

Olivia and Stiles get along just well considering the whole ‘I’m the one who almost bound your powers’ thing that no one brings up. True to her words, Olivia did help him get a better grasp on his abilities. But it was more just her giving him books to read and answering most of his questions. They have yet to find an empath recorded in history with abilities even remotely similar to Stiles. 

Stiles has slowly been training himself on the whole, ‘touch me and I get sucked into your mind half of the time’ thing. It helps when the recipient has a strong mental build as well, which is why Stiles is only comfortable with direct contact with those who are close to him. Because they know to be careful around him.

Anyway.

Derek and Laura are both shocked when Caleb gives the whole room a cursory sweep with his eyes. Eyes sweeping past both his parents and landing on Stiles, who is still standing next to the kitchen table. Caleb shuffles over to Stiles and reaches his hands up in the universal gesture for ‘up’. Stiles doesn’t even hesitate before he leans down and scoops Caleb up and settles him on his hip. Caleb’s arms go around Stiles' shoulders and he stares at Stiles.

“Hey buddy. How was school?” Stiles' voice is soft and low. He sweeps a hand across the back of Caleb's neck and inhales. 

Through the past couple of years, the Hales have come to realize and respect the strange bond Stiles and Caleb share. Caleb, like Derek, isn’t very good at voicing how he’s feeling. With Stiles being an empath, it’s helped a lot. 

Stiles locks eyes with Peter and taps the side of his head twice, before rubbing a hand up and down Caleb's back. 

“How ‘bout we go for a walk?” Stiles looks down at Caleb, who gives a small nod. 

Stiles is still holding the six-year-old as he walks out the back door and heads for the preserve. Laura and Derek watch them disappear into the trees through the window over the kitchen sink. 

“What was that?” Laura asks with creased brows. Looking from Peter to Felicia. 

“Stiles is best at understanding what’s going through Cal’s head. He can pick up on his emotions better than we can and on particularly bad days, like today, he’ll take a peek into his mind to see what’s happening.” Peter says. Stephanie squirms in Derek's arms and the older wolf puts her down. She shuffles over to Felicia, who picks up her daughter and settles the seven-year-old in her lap. 

“Isn’t that a little…” Laura trails off and looks from Derek to Felicia then over to Peter. 

“Invasive?” Peter supplies with a tight smile. Laura nods her head. 

“Talia told you about how Caleb was taken last year correct?” Peter busses around the kitchen and starts making tea. Needing to keep himself busy. 

“Yeah.” Derek supplies through clenched teeth. 

“Right. Stiles went with us to track them down. The hunters used a scent blocker, but Stiles could still follow the trail of emotions they left. There were a lot more than we were expecting.” Peter pauses as he turns the faucet on to fill up the kettle.

“We were all fighting the hunters and both sides were too distracted to notice Stiles slip into the compound. There were two hunters in the warehouse and one of them got Stiles on his side, but he managed to knock them both out and he found Caleb. Most of us were pretty banged up, but it was Stiles who got him out.” Shannon finishes for Peter who looks a little constipated. He had nearly gone feral when they had realized what had happened to his youngest. 

“We think that sparked a bond between the two.” Olivia cuts in. “Stiles is apart of the pack even though for the most part he’s human. Cal wouldn’t let go of Stiles for the rest of the week. Anytime they were separated he would throw a huge fit.” Olivia finishes. 

“If Stiles can understand what he needs better than we can, then we’re okay with him going into Cal’s mind, as wrong as it might seem.” Felicia is staring down at Stephanie and running her hand through her daughter's hair. 

The kitchen is silent for a long time, Laura and Derek taking in the information. 

“So he can read minds?” Derek asks in a quiet voice. Staring down at his hand that’s resting on the counter. 

“No. He can read people's intentions. It only works about half the time when he actually tries. Sometimes someone has too much on their mind, and it overwhelms him. If someone’s intentions are solely focused and their emotions are extremely strong, he can get sucked in and lost.” Talia is the one to answer her son, Peter and Olivia nodding along as she speaks. 

“He’s still learning about his abilities and how to use them. How to control them.” Peter turns the burner off as the kettle lets out a sharp whistle, and moves it to the burner next to it. 

Lincoln clears his throat and gives everyone a look. The back door opens, and Stiles walks in with smiling Caleb perched on his shoulders. Caleb giggles as Stiles tilts his body to close the door and then rights himself. 

“Hey Cal, have a fun time?” Felicia asks looking up at her son. 

“We saw fairies mama.” The six-year-old gushes. He lifts up a large flower from behind Stiles' head and waves it in the air. 

“They gave me this.” He whispers as he cradles the flower close to his chest. 

“You okay Stiles?” Peter asks walking over to the two. Stiles has a distant look on his face. 

“Take Cal.” The empath whispers. 

Peter curses under his breath and pulls his son off of Stiles’ shoulders, handing him off to Shannon who’s sitting next to Felicia. Caleb makes a noise of displeasure. Peter turns back and grabs Stiles shoulder, just in time for the teen’s eyes to roll back and his body goes lax. Stiles is slumped into Peter’s body and the wolf has an arm wrapped around his waist and the other hand splayed between his shoulder blades. 

“What’s wrong with him?” Laura asks with a deep frown. 

“Fae.” Talia says with a flat tone like its the answer to world hunger. 

“Mom.” Derek urges her one. They all watch Peter scoop Stiles up and walk out of the kitchen. 

Talia clears her throat and looks down at her hands. Twisting her wedding ring with a deep frown. 

“Stiles has developed excellent control over his powers, but even he can’t be that strong all the time. Certain people and supernatural beings likewise, sometimes their emotions are so strong that Stiles becomes overwhelmed.” Talia pulls down a white ceramic mug from the cupboard. Its dyed in swirls of green, from when Cora had seen a DIY on pinterest involving nail polish. She pours herself a cup of tea and sets to make it to her liking. 

“Especially the fae.” Shannon speaks on a growl. Her eyes flicker yellow. 

“I thought we had a peace treaty with the fae in the preserve?” Laura asks, pulling the milk out of the fridge and handing it to her mother. 

“We do and it’s still a strong treaty.” Talia says between a sip of her tea and adding more sugar. 

“But just as they can not lie, we know that they are very good at masking their emotions. Stiles explained it as a glass that’s filled to the brim. All those emotions have to go somewhere. It’s an overflow, and when Stiles is around them that overflow goes right to him.” Shannon lets Caleb down who bumbles out of the kitchen. Shannon clenches her fists on top of the counter and her hands go white. 

“Go play with your brother.” Felicia puts down Stephanie and whispers to her.

“I take it this has happened before?” Laura asks as Talia hands her back the milk and she puts it in the fridge. 

“Shannon and I were with him in the preserve when a group of them popped up out of nowhere. He was looking for a type of herb. It was for a spell he and Olivia were going to try. They said they could sense what he was and wanted to meet him. He passed out right after they went back to their court. I’m surprised he was able to walk him and Cal all the way back here.” Thea stands up with a sleeping Jamie drooling on her shoulder. Peter walks back into the kitchen, as Thea walks out to put Jamie down for his nap. 

“How is he?” Talia asks from where she’s now sitting at the kitchen table, sipping on her tea. 

“Out cold. He had a bad headache but I think I got rid of it.” Peter wiggles his fingers at his sister before he sets to make his own cup of tea.

“Good.” Talia gives a nod before she looks down and stares into her tea. 

The room settles into a comfortable silence. Laura and Derek share a look before they both head upstairs to unpack their bags. 

Laura unpacks, showers then passes out in her bed. Derek does the same expect after he’s dressed from his shower he sits on the edge of his bed, something in him still restless. He watches the clock on his bedside table flicker to the next minute before he stands up and walks out of his room. The room across the hall to him used to be just an empty guest room last he remembered. But now the door is cracked open, and he can hear a fast heartbeat. 

The sun is just starting to set so the room is cast in soft oranges and warm sunlight from where it hits the walls. Stiles is sprawled out on the bed, the blankets pushed down to his waist and his tee shirt rucked up a bit. Derek carefully sits down on the corner of the bed and watches the teen sleep. His mouth is slightly open and his leg twitches every few breaths. When the sun sets lower the light is casted onto Stiles' face. which makes him scrunch up and roll towards Derek. He rolls onto his side which causes his tee shirt to push up higher and Derek can see a scar stretched over his ribs. It’s still pink like it’s barely had time to heal. Derek can even see small pock marks from where the stitches were. Stiles' face stays scrunched up and he groans. Derek reaches out and brushes his fingers over the spot between the empaths brows. Taking his pain from the returned headache. 

Half an hour later, after the sun has mostly set and the room is bathed in indigo, Caleb creeps into the room with his mint green blankie clutched in his hand. He stops short when he sees Derek.

“Uncle Derek?” Caleb’s voice is soft and small like he knows he might wake Stiles. 

“Hey Cal.” Derek gestures for the young wolf to come closer. 

Caleb stumbles forward, his feet get caught on his blanket. But he walks over to the bed and Derek pulls him up. Caleb crawls up to the head of the bed and curls into Stiles side. The teen remains asleep as he throws an arm over the wolf and tugs him closer. Caleb snuffles at Stiles' neck before he settles down and falls asleep. Derek pulls the comforter over the two before he leaves the room, and settles down in his own bed.

He falls asleep within minutes. 

-

Stiles is eighteen when he dies. 

In basic terms, they’re called energy vampires. 

It was the new monster of the week and none of them could figure out what the hell it was. They were finding dead omegas in the preserve. Bodies all shriveled up. Skin dry and brittle, sunken in and shrink-wrapped around their bones. The life sucked dry from them. The slightest bit of movement, and what's left of them turning to ash. 

“What if it’s like, some ancient pharaoh mummy?” Stiles looks up from the three books he has his head buried in. 

Peter snorts and shakes his head, going back to looking through the Hale family bestiary, for the third time in the past three days. Laura just stares at Stiles with raised brows. 

“No I’m serious. He’s zapping their essence from them so that he can regenerate his own mummified corpse so that he can exact his revenge on those who killed him. Or well the descendants of those that killed him.” Stiles points a finger at Peter and shrugs his shoulder on the last bit. 

“First of all, zombie mummies don’t exist Stiles.” Peter stands and puts the bestiary down on the coffee table. 

“They could.” Stiles mumbles under his breath and frowns. 

“And second of all, why would they be in Beacon Hills? The descendants could be anywhere in the world? What are the chances they’re in BH?” Peter muses and leans his hip against the table Stiles is sat at. 

Laura has to cover her mouth to hide her smile. Her disbelief in Peter actually acknowledging Styles theory farther than a scoff and dismissal is something she had not expected.

“One word. Hellmouth.” Stiles jams his finger into Peter’s belly who folds inwards a bit and laughs. 

“BH isn’t a hellmouth.” Peter shakes his head and closes the books Stiles had been reading.

“It so is. What the hell are you doing?” Stiles shoves his hands between the pages of the books to try and stop Peter. 

“You’re sleep deprived. Go get some sleep. They’ll still be here when you have more than a power nap under your belt.” Peter rubs his hand between the teen shoulder blades and smiles down at him. Stiles grumbles but stands anyway and trudges out of the library. 

“You’re sweet with him.” Laura comments from were shes curled up in an armchair. 

“My dear niece, is that jealousy I hear?” Peter tilts his head at her before walking back to his seat. 

Stiles ends up sleeping through the rest of the afternoon and well into the night. They decide not to wake him for dinner, because of how little sleep he’s gotten this week. Peter checks in on the teen before he retires for the evening, tucking the covers up to his chin and brushing stray strands of hair out of his eyes. It’s sweet the way Peter views Stiles, like a son but as a best friend at the same time. Obviously, the wolf would never ever say it aloud or let others speak his truth. Stiles mutters something about blueberry muffins in his sleep before he turns over and starts drooling. 

Stiles wakes up a little past four am. He just sits up and looks around because he could have sworn he heard- 

" _Stiles._ "

Yup, creepy non-corporal voice calling his name. Okay so-

“ _Stiles._ ”

Like the voice itself was a whispered spell a haze falls over the empath, Stiles gets out of bed and leaves the Hale house, with an unusual grace the teen does not possess. He makes his way deep into the preserve, where a cave is carved out in the side of a large hill. A man is standing at the entrance. He looks to be around Derek's age. He’s tall and lean, wearing a black sweater and black jeans tucked into chunky boots the same color. His hands are tucked behind his back, and he stands with his legs slightly parted. His skin is a darkly sunkissed showing his heritage. His hair a similar brown to Stiles and slicked back. 

“Oh how I’ve waited for you, empath.” His words are like honey to Stiles. Who can’t resist walking up to the man and standing directly in front of him. The man sways forward with an unnatural grace and deeply inhales Stiles scent. His eyes glow blue for a second before fading back to a more natural blue.

“Mmm, I used to love the smell of your kind. Still do.” The man sticks his arm out and circles his finger to gesture Stiles to turn around. 

“Been about six hundred years since i’ve had one of you.” The man presses himself to Stiles back and wraps an arm around the empaths waist. 

“How rude of me. My name is Wynn. I was going to savor this, only take a little at time so that I could keep you for a long time. But just your scent is driving me insane.” Wynn takes another breath of Stiles and laughs.

“Usually I just siphon someone’s energy, no need for all that messy blood to get in the way but you are delectable, I must say.” Wynn presses a kiss to Stiles neck and rips his shirt, so that it’s hanging off his shoulder and all of his neck is exposed. 

Wynn’s head jerks up, and he stares off into the darkness of the woods. 

“Those damn dogs. Can’t keep to themselves can they.” Wynn hisses as his eyes glow electric blue and his fangs lengthen. 

“Stiles!” Derek calls from a distance. 

It’s enough to shake the fog from Stiles head. 

“What?” Stiles shakes his head and blinks owlishly at the surrounding forest. 

“No matter. They’ll be too late.” Wynn grins devilishly and sinks his fangs into Stiles neck. 

Stiles screams as the fangs pierce through his skin. He struggles against the vampire but the other is a lot stronger than him. Stiles digs his nails into the man's arms, and rips at the skin, but as soon as he cuts in, the skin begins to knit itself back together. Faster than werewolves healing factor. Wynn pulls away and laughs into the night. 

“This is better than I remember!” He digs his fangs in deeper this time in a spot closer to the front of his neck.

Stiles feels something snap in his neck, like a rubber band being pulled too tight and then snapping. Suddenly he can’t get enough air into his lungs. His body starts feeling weak until it’s just Wynn holding him up. His vision starts blurring in and out. Somebody or multiple somebody's crash through the trees, and Wynn drops Stiles. 

He laughs and says something about power. Stiles reaches up and presses his hand to his neck. It’s gushing blood, more than he thinks a vampire bite would cause. Stiles watches what looks like most of the Hale pack fighting Wynn, but the vampire just had a full meal so the fight favors him. 

Stiles takes this moment to get what's left of his shirt off and wade it up to press into his neck. It stings like a motherfucker but he knows he has to put pressure on it or he’ll bleed out. He uses a nearby tree to get himself up and on his feet, just in time to see the vampire grab Shannon and throw her. She crashes into a tree and a low hanging branch pierces through her arm. 

The trees in this part of the forest grow too far apart for him to use them as a constant crutch. He sways between trees and underbrush, roots tripping him and leaves slipping under his bare feet. His vision keeps fading. As is he. 

He knows it too. 

The bitter iron in his mouth is too strong for it to be just his own blood. He’s sensing his own death looming overhead. Following him through the woods like a scythe-wielding grim reaper. Stiles only makes it a couple more feet before a root hidden under a pile of leaves trips him, and he falls onto a large tree stump. A gargled moan is punched from his gut as he turns over onto his back. The tee shirt falls away from his neck. Sticky and wet from his blood. 

It’s no use, he realizes. Wynn tore into is carotid and no amount of pressure will stop the bleeding. Stiles stares up through the tee tops. Up at the clear night. Even in his depleted state, he can still pick out Ursa Major, his favorite constellation. His mother used to tell him the moles on his shoulder blade looked like the constellation. He wonders then if his mother is up there watching him. It’s strange and morbid, and he hates himself for thinking it. 

He can hear someone crashing through the forest near him. Stiles holds in a breath and waits for them to pass. Images of the Hale’s torn apart flash through his mind, and he has to swallow down bile. 

“Oh my god.” That’s Derek. Not Wynn. 

“Stiles!” Derek yells. He kneels down on the stump next to Stiles and presses his hand against his neck. The bleeding has slowed only because he’s almost out of red to bleed. 

“Stiles come on, stay with me.” Derek urges. He sits down and pulls Stiles into his lap so that his upper body is braced against Derek’s right leg. 

“The pack.” The empath whispered. 

“They’re fine. They tore him to shreds. There’s nothing left of him but chunks. Peter’s laughing about it while they burn everything.” Derek chokes out a small laugh and tightens his hold on Stiles neck. 

Stiles smiles in relief and attempts to nod his head. It’s more of a jerk than a nod. His skin is ghostly white now. His blood looks like scarlet paint against his canvas. His eyes drift shut but Derek yells for him to keep his eyes open. He tries to tell the wolf that the vampire tore open his artery but it comes out more as 

“Car art.” Stiles mumbles with lidded eyes. His hand falls limp and thuds against the tree stump that is now covered in the empaths blood. 

“Stiles stay with me. I need you to stay awake. Tell you what? When you get better we’ll go for a date alright? You can stop hounding me. We’ll go to that dinner you like, the one with the curly fries. God knows you never stop raving about them.” Derek smiles through the tears. He sniffles and shifts his weight slightly. 

“S’okay.” Stiles’ smile is all teeth. His blood filling the gaps between each tooth and the cracks in his chapped lips.

The area of the forest they’re in is filled with so many emotions, Stiles can’t tell where one begins and one ends. He can still smell his own death clinging to every inch of their small bubble. But then the smell of apple pie breaks through and he chokes on a laugh, because yeah, Derek loves him. 

Derek hears the moment the boy’s heart stops beating. It’s like a punch to the gut. He can’t breathe. Any warmth that still clung to Stiles skin washes away and Derek is left holding a pale corpse. Derek has more of Stiles blood soaked into his clothes than that of his own or the vampire. He stares down at the boy a moment. Derek doesn’t think it’s fair how peaceful he looks. Like he’s sleeping. His face relaxed and just the barest hint of a smile tugging at the one corner of his lips. It’s not fair, Derek thinks. 

“But I just got you.” The wolf whispers. 

He moves Stiles to lay back on the stump and stumbles back. A hand braces his back and his head whips around to see that it’s Peter. The older wolf has tears staining his cheeks, clean tracks amidst the dirt caked onto his face. Laura comes up behind the two, and Peter nudges his nephew in her direction. Laura wraps him up and lets Derek cry on her shoulder. The rest of the Hales have made their way to the sight of the boy’s death. Most are in tears. Cora is kneeling in the dirt with her head on her knees, tears, and sobs wracking through her body. 

“What are we going to tell his father?” Talia is horrified. Her body shaking with unshed grief. Shannon stands next to her mother, tears streaking her face. 

“It shouldn’t have been him. This isn't fair.” The she-wolf hisses. 

Cora rocks back and tilts her head up and howls. The howl is noticeably filled with grief and sorrow. Derek follows next, then Peter then the rest of the wolves all join in. They howl for what seems the rest of the night. They howl for the loss of a life. A loss of a loved one. The death of a pack member. 

Once most of them have seemingly calmed down Peter takes a step towards the stump to gather the body, when the unexpected happens.

Stiles gasps and his body arches up with the first breath of life. He falls back to the stump, but his chest is steadily rising and falling. 

Derek is the first on him. He trips onto the stump, werewolf grace be damned. He crowds over the boy and presses his ear against Stiles' chest, and a steady heart beats with life. 

“He’s alive.” Derek whispers as he sits up. 

“What happened?” Stiles moans as he tries to sit up. 

Turns out the giant tree stump Stiles ‘died’ on was **that** shady motherfuckering stump. The Nemeton. Even Deaton can’t fathom how the boy’s life was granted back. Olivia, however, has a theory. Just speculation of course. 

“The nemeton ‘died’ because a life was unwillingly given.” Of course she means Derek’s best friend Paige. The alpha packs lesson to the Hales and when she says died, she means turned evil, being why it had to be cut down. Like Stiles said, shady tree stump from hell. 

“But Stiles has your life faded? Derek said you said it was okay, correct?” Olivia prompts the still recovering boy. Stiles pursues his lips and nods.

“A life willingly given.” She says it like a prayer.

“So your saying by dying and being okay that I died, I put the mojo on the bad tree and turned it into a good tree?” Stiles clarifies. 

“Essentially.” Olivia smiles and nods her head. 

“Bad _ass_.” Stiles grunts as Peter whacks the back of his head and they all laugh. 

-

Stiles is twenty the first time he and Derek fight.

It was a long time coming and neither of them realized it.

They could never find time for each other and yes, it was as simple as that. 

“How about Tuesday night?” Derek stares at the calendar hanging on the front of the fridge. 

“I have dinner with my dad.” Stiles is scrubbing at a dinner plate in the sink. 

“I have classes on Wednesday and then you have the clinic on Tuesday. What about Friday?” Derek glances over at his boyfriend. 

“I’m covering for Scott so he and Ali can go out.” Stiles shakes his head. He pauses when he picks up on the emotions Derek gives off for a quiet second. It’s barely there and it’s a new combination he’s never felt before. Green peppers and mold. It’s so slight he can barely tell what it is. He drops the plate in the sink and it shatters. Slicing his palm. He ignores the injury and whips around to look at his boyfriend. 

“If you have something to say to me then just say it.” Stiles bites out his deep frown. Blood dripping down his fingertips and onto the floor. 

“What?” Derek turns to face him with an indifferent expression. 

“Don’t. Don’t do that. Don’t shut me out.” Stiles points a finger at him. Soapy water running down his wrist and up his arm. 

“What do you want me to say Stiles?” Derek sighs and throws his hands up. 

“I want you to tell me what you’re feeling. I can’t read your mind.” Stiles clenches his jaw at the end and glances down at his throbbing hand. 

“But you can.” Derek states matter of the fact and crosses his arms over his chest. 

“Is this what it’s really about? You’re mad I can always tell what your feeling? That you can’t hide from me? Wow, it must suck that someone can always tell when you’re lying.” Stiles mocks him and gestures wildly. Pot, kettle, Stiles whispers in his mind. 

“No, this isn’t about our powers or my abilities. It’s about us. It’s about you covering for Scott so that he and Allison can go out when we haven't gone out on a date in weeks.” Derek growls and points a finger at Stiles. 

“This isn’t about Scott and you know it!” Stiles yells and slams his hand down on the table. Which, bad move. His hand throbs from the cut but he grits his teeth and doesn’t show it. 

“Fuck, Stiles! I don’t know what you want me to say!” Derek yells back. His words growled out through clenched teeth. He won’t look at the empath. 

“It’s about my powers. It’s always about my powers. You hated what I could do and who I was since I was ten years old and spoiled your little love affair with Kate.” Stiles has never voiced his insecurities like this before. Didn’t know they ran that deep actually. But he’s laid himself bare now, and he can’t take it back. 

“Stiles, you saved my families lives! How could I hate you for that?” Derek shakes his head, all the anger gone from his voice. His brows scrunched up in confusion. 

“Because I ruined your life. And now I’m ruining us.” Stiles has tears running down his face now. He reaches up to wipe them away and smears blood across his face. 

“No, you’re not.” Derek speaks softly. He grabs the dish towel from the table and presses it to Stiles hand. Then cups his boyfriend's cheek.

“I ruin everything.” Stiles sniffles and stares down at the floor. There are drops of blood on the wood and puddles of soapy water. 

Derek hums as he wraps his arms around Stiles waist. His head resting in the crook of the smaller boys neck. Derek inhales and takes in all that is Stiles. 

They weren’t perfect after the fight. Far from it. Derek now knew some of the things Stiles kept bottled up and he knew they both would have to put more effort into their relationship. They knew that they would get through it. Together.

-

Stiles is twenty-one when shit hits the fan in Beacon Hills. 

How was he supposed to know that because he was an empath it left him more vulnerable to possession?

They called it a Nogitsune. A demon that fed off of chaos. 

It used Stiles like a human wrecking doll. Destroying his hometown, hurting his friends, killing so many innocent people, almost getting Allison killed. 

Stabbing Scott. 

_Hurting Derek_.

When the nogitsune is in control, it’s like his empathic abilities are blocked. He’s locked away in his own mind, slowly wasting away. Sometimes the demon shows him glimpses of what he’s doing, of the havoc he’s causing, of the blood he’s spilled.

When they finally dig Stiles out, when they separate him from the fox spirit, it’s like everything hits him at once. All the emotions that had been blocked now rush towards him. It feels like physical hands wrapped around his neck. He can’t breathe and he doesn’t fight it. Scott and Derek are speaking, yelling, in front of him but he can’t hear them. There’s blood trailing down his cheeks, coming from his eyes. Stiles thinks of it as poetic justice. 

He passes out. 

When he wakes up, it’s been a week and apparently, he’d slipped into a coma because of the toll that was taken on his body. He has to go through a few days of physical therapy because of the coma and from the damage the nogitsune caused on his body. They have to hire a private PT because Stiles can’t step foot into another hospital or rehab center. It’s like someone hit the reset on his powers. Everything is sharp and too intense. 

He spends the next month hoping his power will kill him. He avoids everyone like he's carrying the plague. He won’t even see his dad. 

Laura leaves fruit baskets at the door to his apartment, which he refuses to leave. That he can’t leave. 

He knows he can’t learn control again unless he’s around others, but the idea of what he might sense. The idea of the hatred and disgust they all must carry for him. 

Another week goes by before Derek quite literally busts his door down. He smells like a too strong bloody mary, like pure vodka and black pepper. Stiles falls into a sneezing fest and his eyes water up. Derek crowds him onto the couch and wraps him up in a bear hug. 

They talk through Stiles’ fear and not once does Stiles smell or taste any of that which he was afraid of. 

There are some things Stiles doesn’t talk about-some things he can’t talk about. Pieces he’s still missing. Gaps in his memory from the chaos spirit. Parts of himself he’s worried he’ll never get back.

Derek promises him, right there on Stiles old ratty couch, that he’ll always be there. 

No matter what. 

-

Stiles is twenty-four when he gets married. 

Derek wasn’t subtle about it at all, but Stiles is an airhead and missed all the signs. 

The first was Laura making a Mulan reference. Kevin and Lincoln were frying up all kinds of meat on the grill as Stiles was about to duck out, Talia asking if he wanted to stay for dinner. Laura yelling from where she was outside with her fiance, Thomas, if he wanted to stay forever. Stiles had laughed, always one for a great reference. He indeed stayed for dinner. Derek had been weird the whole night. 

The next time it happened it was all Derek’s fault. He had left his computer open on his email and went to take a shower. Stiles wanted to play some music as he cooked dinner and had gone onto the computer. An email from some man named Trevor Dane about diamonds still up on the screen. Stiles had shrugged it off as part of Derek’s work. 

The third time everyone finally realized Stiles was either incredibly stupid or in subconscious denial. He had walked into the Hale house and into the kitchen where Cora, Derek, Laura, Peter, and Shannon were standing at the island counter. Butter, oil and a bowl of water sitting out. They all looked at the empath like deer caught in headlights. Peter’s hand had chunks of butter sticking to it and was covered in oil. His hand hovering over the bowl of water with Shannons hand wrapped around his wrist. 

“Whatcha guys doing?” Stiles asked tucking his bottom lip between his teeth to stop from laughing. 

Derek slowly turned his head to look at Peter, who still looked like a deer in headlights, and set free a glare like no other. Stiles laughed and coughed a bit on the taste of hot sauce and bell peppers. It wasn’t often that Stiles got hits of Derek’s emotions. Especially now that he was older. But even magical tattoos have their limits. Stiles rubs a hand across the ‘control’ rune tattooed on the back of his neck and hums. 

“Damn Peter, what’d you do?” Stiles grabs a water bottle from the fridge and takes a swig, clearing his throat of the spicy taste. 

Derek sighs and looks utterly defeated and Cora has her phone out recording. Laura’s face is turning purple from how hard she’s trying not to laugh and Shannon is still trying to work the ring off of Peter’s finger. Derek walks over to Stiles and takes his hand in his. 

“This so isn’t how I wanted to do this.” Derek sighs again and looks heavenward for a second. 

“Do what?” Stiles looks over at Shannon who’s grinning so wide it actually looks like it hurts. 

“I know we didn’t have the best of meetings. I hated you for the greater part of knowing each other, and it took you dying and coming back to life for me to realize my true feelings for you. But you saved my family, and I love you so much.” Derek starts and locks eyes with his boyfriend. 

“I love you too Derek, what’s going on?” Stiles is frowning. Laura no longer looks like she’s asphyxiating but now looks close to tears. 

“I had this all planned out. I was going to take you up to the mountains where we went camping last year and there were going to be candles involved and it was going to be perfect.” Derek continues and ignores Stiles question. 

“Babe?” Stiles squeezes Derek’s hand and urges him on. 

“I’ve loved you since you were seventeen and I was twenty-one. I’ll love you for the rest of my life. Stiles what I’m trying to say is-” Right as Derek is going to kneel Shannon yells in triumph and is holding to ring up in the air like a scene from Lord of The Rings. Peter’s on the ground holding his hand to his chest and hissing. 

Derek laughs and drops down onto one knee. 

“Stiles, will you marry me?” Derek asks with a wide grin and just a bare hint of tears in the corner of his eyes. He catches the silver ring Shannon tosses at him and it almost slips out of his hand from all the oil. 

Stiles jaw is the floor and his eyes are welling up with tears. 

“Holy shit.” He whispers. The hand not being held by Derek creeps up to cover his mouth and he whispers the profanity again. 

“Yes! Oh my god, yes!” Stiles yells with tears freely rolling down his cheeks. Derek stands up and wraps Stiles up in a tight hug. 

The room fills with the smell of snickerdoodle cookies and peach pie. Tangerines flow over top of it and it’s never been the best thing Stiles has ever smelled until right now. He can taste the citrus sharp on his tongue and biting into his cheeks as Derek slips the ring on his finger. The oil feels gross but it’s perfect. 

The ring is a simple silver band with a set of three crystals set into it. The ring hums as it settles against his skin and of course, Derek got him a magical engagement ring. 

They have the wedding three months later, at the end of August. 

The ceremony is small and held in a large clearing in the preserve. The entire Hale family is present, even a very pregnant Laura who complains about the heat during the hours leading up to the ceremony. Lydia and Jackson fly in from New York, Scott and Allison make it back from their honeymoon in France just in time. Stiles dad cries when Melissa walks him down the aisle. Peter cries when they exchange their vows and ‘I Do’s’, and Shannon owes Stiles fifty bucks. 

They have the reception back at the Hale house. People in the house and out in the backyard. Kids running around playing. Stiles heart is so full as he and Derek dance to a slow song playing over the speakers set up in the backyard. 

“How does it feel to be a Hale?” Derek asks as he slowly dips Stiles and brings him back up. 

“How does it feel to be a Stilinski?” Stiles asks between light kisses. Derek throws his head back and laughs. 

“Do you mind if I steal your new groom away for a moment?” Olivia asks with a smile. Derek nods and goes over to where an eight-year-old Jamie is on his tippy toes, reaching for a plate of brownies. 

Stiles thinks Olivia is going to start a dance with him so he reaches out his hand and takes hers. She smiles and tilts her head a fraction. 

“Let's take a walk?” She nods her head towards the preserve.

Stiles hasn’t stopped smiling all day, nods his head and they walk off into the preserve. They walk at a slow pace for about ten minutes before Olivia slows to a stop and Stiles follows. They stand in front of a large tree that’s covered in small, soft pink flowers that look like a cross between cherry blossoms and carnations. 

Then a scent fills Stiles sense. One he thought he’d never smell again. It’s sweet like honey and he smells a field filled with wildflowers. So sweet and fresh. 

Stiles looks to his left where Olivia had been standing to see her no longer there. He looks all around and the white witch is gone. He looks back at the tree when a breeze ruffles his button-down shirt and the scent grows just the faintest bit stronger. A little girl is sat perched in the tree. She’s maybe twelve years old, with raven black hair falling in soft curls around her shoulders, a greyish white dress adorning her slight frame, and her feet sans shoes. When she opens her eyes, they are slitted like a cats and a soft honey gold color. 

“ _Hello again, Stiles_.” Her voice doesn’t match how she looks, but something about her voice tickles the back of Stiles mind. 

“I’m sorry, have we met before?” Stiles asks as he takes a step back. 

“ _We have. But I’m afraid you’ve seen me in a different form, so I do not fault you for not recognizing me._ ” She laughs and leans back on one of the branches. Her voice sounding much more mature compared to her body.

“Um.” Stiles looks up at her and his eyes track over the tree. A warm feeling settles between his ribs and that’s when he realizes. It’s the nemeton. No longer a giant evil stump. But a full grown tree, alive and good. 

“ _I had hoped it would lead to this outcome. But as much power as I have, even I can not fully foresee the future. Event’s forever changing. Outcomes shifting. Lives beginning, ending_.” She reaches a handout and one of the branches bends down and a flower falls into her hand. Blooms and glows a soft pale pink before slowly dying. It’s weirdly touching, yet morbid. 

“Selene.” If there was an actual lightbulb it would be glowing hard above Stiles head. 

“ _How you’ve grown young one_.” She chuckles and leans forward in the tree. The branches once again moving and forming a staircase. She uses the branches to step down and onto the grass. 

“ _Have you understood the meaning of my words all those years ago?_ ” There's a small uptilt of her words. Her eyes crinkle and she looks a hundred percent feline in that moment.

Stiles rubs the back of his neck and then runs his hand through his hair. He tries to think back to what the goddesses had told him. But he was twelve. It was twelve years ago. How is he supposed to remember that? Selene seems to pick up on that because she lets out a soft chuckle and shakes her head. 

“ _I told you that it wasn’t often I saw something like you and Derek. As it does hold true still to this day._ ” She lifts her hand up and a small breeze blows through the preserve. Ruffling her dress and her hair. 

“I still don’t understand.” He really didn’t. 

“ _Let me show you._ ” In the blink of an eye, the goddess stood right before him. Her form now that of a full grown woman in her twenties. Her hair longer and now caring a slight blue tint to it.

She reaches out her hand, and her fingers press to his left temple. Stiles is proud when he does not flinch away from her. She closes her eyes and a small smile tilts her lips. Everything is a black inkiness and then an image springs to life. It’s kind of like when Stiles touches someone and gets sucked into their head. It’s just images after images, kinda like pictures frozen in time, showing him different lives he’s lived. A life where they are both human and meet at a dog park, Stiles’ dog peeing on Derek's leg. A world where Stiles mom beat the dementia (which was just cancer in that life) and introduces Derek to him during a summer BBQ. A terrible life where the fire happened and killed everyone. Laura dies by Peter’s hand. 

But even in that lifetime Stiles and Derek still fall in love. A handful more play and the last one is a version most similar to their own current universe. Derek still falls prey to Kate and the fire happens but Stiles has powers and uses them to save the Hale’s. When Selene lets her hand drop and takes a step back there are lines of silver liquid running down her face. Liquid silver tears shed by the moon goddess. Stiles has tears of his own running down his cheeks. Running down the tip of his nose and dripping onto his white dress shirt. 

“ _Do you understand now?_ ” She asks. Her words are soft and her lips do not move as the words are spoken. 

Stiles nods his head slowly as he watches her form change. She shifts back into the little girl for a moment before her body shrinks down into that of the cat he saw once before. 

“ _Be good little one._ ” Her words are a faint whisper as her feline body fades out, and one last breeze blows through the surrounding woods. The branches of the nemeton sway and thousands of petals fall. 

Stiles wipes the tears from his cheeks and walks back to the Hale house. Derek finds him as soon as he leaves the woods and presses a kiss to his lips, lingering when he can taste the salt from his tears. 

“What’s wrong?” His husband asks as Derek's hands curl around his hips. 

“Nothing.” Stiles smiles and kisses his wolf. “Absolutely nothing.” 

They walk back towards where the rest of the guests are, hands clasped between them. The scent of honey and wildflowers chases behind them as they walk towards the house. 

“Stiles! Come dance with me!” Stephanie yells from where she’s jumping in the designated dance floor area.

“I’m coming!” Stiles laughs. 

And yeah, everything turned out just as it should have. 

 

**-Fin-**

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you so much to those of you who waited patiently for this second part. This work has been an adventure for me and I hope you enjoyed it as much as I have. 
> 
> **Here's my personal Hale Family Tree:**  
>  Talia is married to Kevin(human) with their werewolf children; Laura, Derek, and Cora  
> Peter is married to Felicia(human) and their werewolf children; Stephanie(wolf) and Caleb(wolf)  
> Thea(human) is married to Lincoln(wolf) and have a son, Jamie(wolf)  
> Shannon(wolf) is married to Olivia(white witch)  
> (Talia is the oldest, then Shannon, then Peter, with Thea as the youngest)
> 
> For those of you who enjoyed this just a little more than the others if you're interested in seeing something, even more, I was thinking about doing another part from Derek's POV and/or from Selene's POV. Let me know if you're interested!
> 
> Again thank you guys so much for all the lovely comments and for sticking out the long period in between parts!


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